The present invention is in the field of carrying cases for portable electronic devices, and has particular application in providing an improved method and apparatus for carrying a CD player or similar device.
Music is art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of form or emotional expression, usually according to cultural standards of rhythm, melody, and, in most Western music, harmony. Conceptual and auditory factors have been present in music of all styles and in all periods of history, Eastern and Western, permeating in one guise or another into every human society.
The ability to carry the music along while traveling from one place to another has been a time-honored tradition for individuals belonging to cultures of modern times. Some examples of methods used are to carry along a harmonica or similar small musical device in the pocket, or a fiddle or flute contained within a protective carrying case. Many other methods have been developed over time for transporting musical apparatus between destinations, while at the same time having the ability to enjoy the music during travel.
With the advance of electronic music technology, developed late in the 17th century, innovators began to accelerate the technology toward portability, with an emphasis on a continued reduction in the size and weight of such electronic devices. A small, portable device for playing a 10-inch phonograph, having dimensions approximately equal to that of a modern CD player, was later developed and marketed boasting many new and novel features, one being of an overall dimension providing the ability to carry the portable device within a small hand-bag or pouch.
Modern technology in the field of small portable electronic musical devices, similar to those previously described, soon advanced to the introduction of a small, personal, stereo cassette tape player, later updated with a radio tuner and designed to be used with small personal stereo headphones. A portable compact disc player was subsequently introduced providing the average user the ability to play one compact disk at a time and listen to the output also by the use of small personal stereo headphones.
The feature of portability offered by devices such as described, and similar devices, quickly gained popularity by providing an easier means for bringing the device to a picnic or camping trip for example. It soon became apparent, however, that a method and apparatus was needed by increasingly active and mobile societies to provide not only the ability to securely and easily transport a musical device to a destination but to use such a device during travel while simultaneously performing some other physical activity. Such portability was particularly needed by those wishing to listen to music or other audio sources while walking, jogging, riding a bicycle, or while performing some other similar physical activity requiring the hands to be substantially free.
To accommodate the increasing desire for hands-free portability in modern electronic musical devices such as stereo cassette players or portable CD players, a variety of belt clips, carrying cases and protective covers have been developed along with the technology, to be used with the many different types of portable musical electronic devices being developed. One common method for hands-free carrying and simultaneous use of portable electronic devices such as described, is by attaching a clip to the back of the device and clipping the attached device to the user""s belt or along the belt line of the clothing, usually at or near one side of the body. Another common method is the use of a carrying case having versions developed for use with most current cassette players or portable CD players, consisting of a pouch or compartment, usually with a closing flap or other closure apparatus that is commonly secured with Velcro material or snaps. The pouch or compartment is attached on either opposing side to straps designed to rest on the circumference of the users hips and attached to each other at the opposite end of the body using clasps, buckles, or some other common method of attachment. Such a hip strap is usually adjusted by means of adjusting buckles or clips, or may be manufactured using a variety of flexible stretchable material such as neoprene or some other synthetic material with similar qualities. A small zippered pouch, commonly referred to informally as a fanny pack, suspended by a belt around the waist is also a common method chosen by many users to carry and use their personal electronic device during physical activity.
There are several problems encountered using conventional methods such as described above for hands-free carrying and use of personal portable electronic devices. For example, a belt clip attached to the back of a device and secured to the belt or clothing, while allowing free and unfettered access to device itself, leaves the device vulnerable to bumping and other undesirable contact with other objects during activity, causing undue risk of damage. A device attached to the belt or clothing in this manner, having no cover or protective casing, can also be damaged or wear prematurely due to excessive ultraviolet exposure or frequent contact with outside elements such as dust or rain. Such a device is also more easily dislodged by inadvertent contact with another object, or the frequent motion of a jogger or bicyclist for example.
An example of another problem encountered with the above-described method utilizing a pouch or compartment attached to an adjustable or elastic belt suspended by the hip, is that the flap holding the device within the compartment, often secured with a snap or sometimes Velcro, is prone to becoming unfastened due to excessive motion or contact with another object, increasing the likelihood of the device following out of the compartment. This is especially true for those carriers having a compartment that holds the device in a horizontal position. Wearing a device on the hip in such a manner is awkward and uncomfortable for many users depending on the activity pursued during use of the device. Most the various belt carriers and zippered belt pouches such as described above also have an inherent problem of providing little or no user access to function controls, earphone jacks, displays and the like.
What is clearly needed is an improved method and apparatus for securing and transporting a personal electronic device such as described above, allowing a user easy access, by placement of the secured device in a more convenient and protected location, while at the same time allowing for easier access to function controls and other components of the device. Such a method and apparatus, by having a more secure method of attachment to the user and a more secure means of containing the device within the compartment, will provide the user with increased mobility in many situations and enhance protection of the device from damage due to the elements and contact with other objects.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a personal carrier for carrying an electronic device in front of a user""s upper body is provided, comprising a carrier body having an opening with a closure for inserting and withdrawing the electronic device; a body strap system attached to opposite edges of the carrier body, for passing around a user""s upper body, placing the body against the user""s front, upper body area; and a shoulder strap system attaching to the carrier body, having a portion passing over each of a user""s shoulders, and joining to the body strap system at a position in the user""s mid-back area with the carrier body positioned in the user""s front, upper body area.
In some embodiments one or both of the body strap and shoulder strap systems comprise adjustable mechanisms for adjusting the length of the strap systems for different users, and there may also be quick-release mechanisms for opening the straps for donning and removing the carrier from the user""s body.
In various embodiments the carrier body comprises one or a combination of cloth, flexible plastic, rigid plastic or rigid material, and may be water and weatherproof, including the closure. In some embodiments there is a plastic, transparent window, enabling a user to see and operate controls of an electronic device within the carrier body. There may also be an opening for passing a cord of a headset through a wall of the body. In alternative embodiments the body comprises a female headphone jack implemented on one surface, with a connecting cable and a male jack within the body, such that a user may connect the inside jack to the female jack of an electronic device in the carrier body, and plug in a headphone set from outside the carrier body. Further some embodiments have protective padding.
In an other aspect of the invention a method for carrying an electronic device on a person is provided, comprising the steps of (a) placing the device in a carrier having a carrier body a closure for inserting and withdrawing the electronic device, a body strap system attached to opposite edges of the carrier body, for passing around a user""s upper body, placing the body against the user""s front, upper torso area, and a shoulder strap system attaching to the carrier body, having a portion passing over each of a user""s shoulders, and joining to the body strap system at a position in the user""s mid-back area with the carrier body positioned in the user""s front, upper body area; (b) positioning the carrier body at the upper front area of the person""s upper torso; and (c) passing the body straps around the person and the shoulder straps over the person""s shoulders, securing the carrier body and electronic device against the person""s upper front torso area.
The unique and novel carrier of the present invention, described in enabling detail in several exemplary embodiments below, for the first time provides a carrier for active persons and sports enthusiasts that can be easily worn and used with such as a CD player while the user is engaged in other activity, like riding a bicycle, while still providing a secure and comfortable situation for the user and the device.